Moroccan Shawarma – Spicy Chicken Wraps

Add delicious flavours to your meal recipes with this stunning spiced chicken wraps. This tasty chicken shawarma is melt-in-the-mouth tender and bursting with exotic flavours. These chicken thighs are marinated in aromatic freshly made paste to give a delicious flavour that really sings yummy when the chicken is grilled. The ideal meal for sharing with family and friends, pile a platter full of warm Middle Eastern flatbread, or pita, homemade thick sauce, fresh salad and mouthwatering–spiced chicken. A must try healthy and hearty meal!

Ingredients

• Skinless/boneless chicken breasts (cut into bite-size chunks)
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cloves garlic pressed through garlic press
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• Ground cinnamon
• Ground ginger
• Pinch hot pepper
• Ground nutmeg
• Medium sized onion
• Diced fresh tomatoes
• 4 wooden skewers
• Eggplant, Tomato & Onion Chutney (recipe below)
• Spicy Hummus Spread(recipe below)
• Middle Eastern flatbread, or pita

Method

1. Place the chunks of chicken into a bowl, and add about 1-2 tablespoons of the olive oil; next, add a couple of pinches of salt and black pepper, and the rest of the ingredients through the pinch of cayenne pepper; toss the ingredients well to coat, and skewer the chicken pieces as equally as possible with the 4 wooden skewers; set the chicken aside to marinate for 20-30 minutes, or even overnight if you’re doing this ahead.
2. While the chicken marinates, prepare the Eggplant, Tomato & Onion Chutney (recipe below).
3. Next, prepare the Spicy Hummus Spread (recipe below).
4. Grill the chicken skewers on a grill pan or outdoor grill for a few minutes per side, or until the chicken is slightly charred and cooked through; place onto a platter to hold.
5. To assemble to sandwich wraps, spread a generous amount of the Spicy Hummus Spread over each of the 4 pieces of flatbread; next, slide the chicken pieces off of the skewer in a row in the center of each wrap (1 skewer per wrap), and top the chicken with a couple of spoonfuls of the Eggplant, Tomato & Onion Chutney; bring the two sides of the flatbread together, and secure with toothpicks if needed, or wrap in parchment paper to hold the wrap together while you enjoy.

Ingredients – Eggplant, Tomato & Onion Chutney

• Olive oil
• 1 small onion, quartered and slices
• Salt and pepper
• 2 small Japanese eggplants, or 1 very small “globe” eggplant, diced into small pieces (about 1 ½ cups worth)
• 3 fresh tomatoes, diced into small pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped mint
• ½ teaspoon lemon juice

Method

1. Place a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, and add in about 3 tablespoons of the olive oil; once the oil is hot, add in the sliced onions, plus a pinch of salt and pepper, and saute for about 5-6 minutes until a light, golden-brown.
2. Next, add in the diced eggplant, plus a pinch of salt, and saute it with the onion for about 2-3 minutes, or until a light golden-brown and slightly tender (add more olive oil if the mixture seems dry).
3. Next, add in the diced Roma tomatoes, plus another small pinch of salt and pepper, and saute the mixture for about 8 minutes, or until everything begins to break down and resemble a “jam” or a chutney, and is a deeper golden-brown.
4. Finally, add in the garlic, and saute for an additional 2 minutes; finish the chutney with the lemon juice and the fresh mint, plus another drizzle of olive oil to make it glossy and rich, and check to see if additional salt and pepper is necessary; set aside and keep warm until ready to use.

Ingredients – Spicy Hummus Spread

• 1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 clove of garlic
• ½ teaspoon lemon zest
• ¼ teaspoon plus a pinch salt
• 1 ½ tablespoons of lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• Pinch hot pepper
• ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil

Method

1. Place all ingredients through the pinch of cayenne into the bowl of a food processor, and process for several moments until mostly smooth.
2. With the processor running, slowly add in the olive oil and process until the spread is very smooth, scraping the sides down if necessary.
3. Transfer the hummus spread into a bowl or container, and set aside until ready to use.

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